


Investigation

by Kirii_Bunie



Series: Linked universe [30]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Cutting, Execution, Gen, Hair Four, Hairballs, Im bad at writing lmaooooo, Investigations, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Panic, Public Execution, Torture, burning on stake, iddkkk what else to tag, surprisingly no blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:40:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24201454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirii_Bunie/pseuds/Kirii_Bunie
Summary: Despite the salty, damp sea air making his hair frizzy and dry, Four had to admit that Wind’s Hyrule has a strange mystical yet home-like feeling to it. The world was so colorful, open ,and free compared to his Hyrule. The Hylians around here were very friendly and accepting of travellers and other races, too! Maybe he’d be able to consider this place a second home…At least, that’s what he thought until the shrill screams of a little girl being dragged against her will made him jump in shock.
Relationships: Four & Hyrule (Linked Universe), Four & Legend (Linked Universe), Warriors & Four (Linked Universe)
Series: Linked universe [30]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1539424
Comments: 8
Kudos: 83





	Investigation

Despite the salty, damp sea air making his hair frizzy and dry, Four had to admit that Wind’s Hyrule has a strange mystical yet home-like feeling to it. The world was so colorful, open ,and free compared to his Hyrule. The Hylians around here were very friendly and accepting of travellers and other races, too! Maybe he’d be able to consider this place a second home…

At least, that’s what he thought until the shrill screams of a little girl being dragged against her will made him jump in shock. 

In the center of town, standing on top of a box, a man held onto a small girl, no older than ten, with one arm by her wrist. In the man’s other hand, he held a small dagger, old and rusted.

The whole group of links paused in alarm, unsure of what was happening. Hyrule took a step forward only to have Wind hold him back.

“What’s the deal, Wind?” Legend questioned angrily. “Why’d you stop him?”

“It’s an investigation so if you value your life, I suggest that you don’t interfere with it.”

Before anyone could ask, they had already gotten their answer. With a booming voice, the man announced his claims to the crowd, holding the girl up for all to see.

“This girl is a monster! She is a buhok!”

Gasps rang out through the square but Four couldn’t pay attention.

“A Buhok? Wait, Wind why are they trying to hurt her then?” Hyrule asked, fear heavy in his voice. “Th-they’re peaceful!”

“They’re parasites who steal the bodies of hylians and take over them!”

Four lifted his hood to hide his hair. Hot, blue flames burst from within him, making his golden locks swish without his consent.

The man was still speaking but his words were lost. He didn’t even know if the girl was one of his kind, yet he felt strong fear for her.

The answer was soon found, however, because as soon as the rusty dagger went through the child’s arm, several strands of amber hair began to spill out and attempt to stitch the wound back together. 

Thousands of voices screamed in anger, Wind’s voice being one of them. Papers, rotten food ,and other trash was thrown towards the crying girl, who’s hair suddenly began to flail in fear, hitting several civilians, including her captor. As a response, the man cut her hair and held the remainder of it in a fist to hold it back.

Four unconsciously brought a hand to his mouth, trying his best to hold back his hair. It made him sick, seeing the way his sister was treated as a monster. She’s only a child yet they showed no mercy as they tied her hair up in a tight bun as well as her wrists in itchy rope. 

Wind seemed to be enjoying the show yet judging by everyone else’s expressions, they felt uncomfortable. Hyrule and Legend both knew many buhoks and were even good friends with many of them. Time knew about the war and what they had done yet it was terrifying to see someone that looks so Hylian, especially a child, be subjected to such torture. Twilight didn’t even know they were real and Sky had no clue what was happening or why the child is being treated so horribly. Wild knew what they were and had heard of them to be horrible creatures yet the girl didn’t seem like a monster at all. And although Warriors couldn’t trust such creatures, either, the sight of one burning to the stake so painfully and how terrified it looked... 

They covered her in several feet of rope and placed her atop of a stake, her stray hairs wriggling wildly in the air. A mob of people holding swords and knives approached her, digging their blades into her skin and releasing thousands of wild and afraid hairs. 

It was when a woman, the one who gave him the bag of apples, had approached the stake, holding a torch towards the screaming child and dropped it beneath her feet.

The smell of burning hair nearly made him cough, forcing him to turn away and walk off while holding both hands tightly to his mouth in an attempt to hold himself back. The scent was dizzying and he needed to get out as fast as he could before he ended up like his sister.

As he began his quiet escape, Wind’s voice stopped him.

“Hey, Four, you alright?”

  
  


Four pulled his hood closer to his face, trying to hide his face more than he already was, and jerkily nodded. Swallowing the hair to allow his voice to come clearly, he opened his mouth.

“Need leave. Not feeling well….” He said in a raspy voice, annoyed at the feeling of the fibers in his throat. 

“Okay then. Go with someone,” Wind ordered. “If there’s one buhok here, who knows how many more there are.”

Wind’s smile was far too kind and it made his hairs convulse in disgust. Still, he smiled back and gave a thumbs up. 

He approached Warriors and gently shook his elbow, taking the attention of the soldier.

“You want to leave?” Warriors asked gently. In response, Four nodded, not looking up or showing his face at all. His hand remained on his mouth.

“Okay… Let’s go then.”

He whispered to Time before walking off with Four to the inn.

\----------------------

There was hardly any staff in the inn and even fewer visitors, all of them most likely watching and taking part in the execution.

The hair in his mouth had receded as soon as the burning scent of hair had faded, allowing him to lower his hand and speak normally. It had been a pain swallowing and pushing back the blonde tendrils in a sloppy attempt to not be burned to the steak but he was safe and no one had commented on his behavior on the way.

Warriors opened the door and almost immediately upon entering, he jumped onto the bed, melting into the mattress and moaning in comfort. Meanwhile, Four excused himself before entering the bathroom and locking the door behind him. Once alone, he lowered his hood and removed his headband, allowing for his hairs to freely move around after the amount of stress he had been holding in. Strands wiggled and squirmed wildly and he hacked, coughing up a hairball in the sink, though he didn’t clean it up immediately. Instead, he opted for sitting on the floor with his knees pulled to his face.

After only a few hours, the homey Hyrule felt like a prison. It used to feel peaceful and free, but now it was horrifying and suffocating. This land once felt like a dream but now it’s a place of nightmares.

_ Knock Knock _

“Four? Are you alright in there?” 

Four jumped, his hair flailing more than before. Once he identified the voice to be Warriors however, he calmed slightly. 

“Yeah, it’s just….can... Can you get me a brush, please?”

“A brush?”

“Yeah, brushing my hair calms me down and I kinda need it after that whole show.”

He heard a faint “okay” as Warriors stepped away from the door to (hopefully) grab the hairbrush.

He hears knocking again, signifying that Warriors had returned with the brush. So, with his hood up once more and his hair tucked away, he went to grab the brush, only opening the door enough to let a hand through. 

Hairbrush in hand and door locked once again, he went back to his spot on the floor, freed his hair and began to brush it gently, the calming feeling of bristles stroked his scalp and locks soothing him until his hair stopped fussing and flailing around. 

He cleaned up the stray hairs that had fallen, making sure that no one suspected anything, and flushed them down the toilet to avoid anyone finding it. Then, he walked out, hood down.

“Oh good, you’re alright. I have some food from downstairs if you’re hungry.”

Four shook his head. “No thanks. I’m… not in the mood to eat right now. I think I’ll just go to bed.”

“Okay then. We’ll be here in the morning.”

He closed his eyes, despite not needing sleep. He knew exactly why he wanted to sleep though. He knew exactly the reason.

So, he kept his eyes closed until he lost consciousness, escaping from reality. Maybe there, he’d be safe.

\------------------------------

Morning came all too soon and the memories of yesterday were still burned fresh in his mind. The scents, the sights, the sounds… It all still terrified him.

Especially seeing Wind on the bed opposite of him, sleeping oh so peacefully after yesterday’s events. The others had varying degrees of horror and fear during the burning. But Wind’s face was full of delight and anger, the two blending in a twisted, disturbing, and sadistic mixture of emotion and expression.

He never thought he’d say this but he was terrified of what Wind would do if he found out that he was a buhok. He’d probably be fine around the others but the sailor seemed to enjoy their pain.

_ ‘I need to give a prayer to her. She deserves it…’ _

He grabbed a small sheet of paper and wrote a note, not wanting to wake anyone up, before going out into town, doing his best to avoid detection from the townsfolk.

Once the scent of burned keratin attacked his senses, he watched for any approaching townspeople before walking to the darkened patch of ash and kneeling in it, eyes closed and hands clasped together.

He silently prayed to Hylia, for her to protect the lost soul of his fallen sister and for her to be safe where she may be.

Once finished, he opened his eyes and quickly stood, brushing off his knees of her ashes and running back to the inn. 

But before he even got away from the scent, a large hand lifted him off the ground. 

“I knew ya w’re a suspicious customer. I could see it in yer eyes, ya munster!” A large, pot-bellied man whispered threateningly.

Terrified, his hair began to squirm and move wildly, attacking the man and causing him to drop onto the ground. 

Not bothering to see if the man was alive or not, he bolted, rushing as quickly as he could to get back to the inn. It was lucky that he was moving so quickly, too, since no one would be able to tell anything wrong with his hair. 

No one followed him, yet he needed to be sure, so he hid within an old alleyway. 

_ ‘We need to get off this island…. I’m not safe here.’ _

He could’ve simply wandered around since no one else saw him but knowing that they do public investigations would make it incredibly difficult to get away. What he needs is either a portal or a boat and right now, since he wasn’t with the others and since his chances of getting a boat without being caught was low, he wouldn’t be able to escape. 

_ ‘I have to go back. If I’m with them, a portal might open. But how am I gonna sneak into the inn?’ _

He looked around, searching for something that could aid in his escape, when he saw a large pot, turned upright. 

Grabbing the Cane of Pacci from his inventory, he turned it over and nearly cried in relief when he saw a minish portal.

Quickly, he hopped on top and proceeded to recite the words Ezlo had repeated so many times during his adventure and braced himself as magic surrounded his body, shrinking him smaller and smaller until he fell down the hole.

Able to use his abilities freely, he extended his hair and walked as quickly as he could, avoiding as many people as possible, before reaching the inn window. Inside, many people lounged in the sofas of the reception room while many were at the bars, picking up a few dishes. Most importantly, another portal sat in the corner of the room, beckoning him. He’d have to carefully get over there and regrow himself if he wanted to get out of here. But there was also the chance of people already knowing about him….

He waltzed into the room, unseen by the adults, and listened in to their conversations, finding that none of them were about him. Satisfied with his findings, he ran to the pot and jumped on top of it, the effects of his shrinking fading, allowing him to return to his original size. 

Without anyone reacting (as always), he ran to the room where the others were packing their things. 

“There you are!” Sky exclaimed. “Come pack your things. We’re leaving in an hour.” 

Four nearly melted. Soon, he’ll be safe! But first, they needed their things packed. Then, they’ll be free. If they’re lucky, they might even get a portal….

\---------------------------

They checked out of the hotel without problem. Maybe he had killed the man. As gruesome of a thought it was, it would be for the best. 

Though, he probably was hoping for too much.

As they approached the docks, Wind having said that some friends were going to pick them up, someone pulled his hair and yanked him back.

They all turned around in alarm at the sudden attack towards one of their own, and the same man from earlier that morning had his mitts tightly held onto Four’s head, lifting him from the ground. 

Another person, this time a young, slender yet muscular woman, with dark skin and orange hair, held a knife. 

“This the monster you speak of, Blanders?”

“Hell yeah, this is the brat. He smacked me with these disgusting strands of his earlier.”

Four looked up at his teammates, pleading for help.

Time, seeming to have noticed his discomfort, cleared his throat and spoke up. 

“Pardon me but I can assure you that he is fully Hylian. He’s been travelling with us for nearly a year and I promise you that we have never seen him use his hair for anything other than tying it up.”

The man didn’t seem to care what Time thought. Instead, he scoffed and spat on the ground, removing one of Four’s bracers.

“Listen here, old man. He  _ could  _ be Hylian but it is a standard procedure to check and make sure there aren’t any parasites on the island. So, we’re going to have to do an investigation.”

The leather fell to the ground, leaving Four’s arm fully exposed. Anxiously, he felt some of his hair begin to rise up his throat, making his speech become muffled. 

The two hylians gave each other a ready signal before pointing the blade to his wrist, poking a small hole into the flesh.

Before they could cut him, Wild shot an arrow, knocking the blade out of the woman’s hand and angering the pair.

A fight between them broke out, swords clanging and fists being thrown and many others joining in. Even Wind was fighting on their side, seeming to care more about his family than his culture of cutting those seen as monsters open.

In the distance, a dark portal with golden stripes lining the arch, black magic swirling within the center. 

“You guys! Portal!”

They all turn to the dark archway in the distance and break away from their opponents, rushing to escape. One by one, they each entered, each of them dazedly falling over as soon as they were given the chance. Once they were all on the other side, they all collapsed out of exhaustion and relief, no longer having to worry about the threat of angry villagers.

All Four had to worry about was the gash on his cheek, already being stitched by his hair. He hastily pulled his hood up and hunched over as he felt each tendril go up, over, under and in, sealing the hole in his flesh suit as quickly as possible.

Someone tapped on his shoulder, nearly causing Four to lash out. However, the fear of having his secret found out was stronger and simply jumped, pulling his hood closer to his face. He was lucky it was the only visible injury on his body.

“Four, do you have any injuries of any sort?” Hyrule asked, gently with concern. 

He swallowed down a small wad of hair (By Hylia, he was getting a lot of hairballs) and gave a timid thumbs up, still not facing him.

“Are you sure? You look sick.”

The hair finally finished stitching his skin, allowing him to relax and swallow the remaining hair in his throat. He turned to Hyrule and smiled kindly as he removed his hood. 

“I’m alright. Just a little dizzy from going through the portal too quickly.”

Hyrule seemed uncertain yet said nothing, opting instead to walk back to the group with him. 

They all regrouped and checked for injuries as well as for missing items and members. It was said that they were in Sky’s Hyrule yet far away from his home. With all the normal group checks completed, they travelled, Sky leading to where he lived.

\--------------------------

They didn’t make it and before they knew it, night fell and camp was set up, Wild already cooking up a meal.

With the extra time, Four decided that perhaps he should read, deciding to curl up against a nearby tree with a novel, when Hyrule approached him before he could even open it.

“Four, can we talk in private?”

Four looked up at Hyrule with moderate anxiety yet nodded and allowed himself to be pulled aside, the light of the fire disappearing behind him.

“So….”

“Oh, right, uhm...May I… touch your hair?”

Four eyed him warily, wondering his motives.

“Why do you want to touch my hair? Is there something in it?”

“No, it’s not that. I was just wondering….” 

“Wondering what?”

“Are you…. Are you a buhok?”

Four felt his hair rise with dread, swishing uncontrollably. He lifted his hood to try and hide it as best as he could, feeling the tendrils and strands squirm uncomfortably. 

“Four, don’t worry!” Hyrule reassured, holding his arms consolingly. “You don’t need to hide it.”

His hood was lowered carefully without Hyrule’s hands touching any of his hair somehow. Four couldn’t believe this, especially not after yesterday’s affairs.

"You don't…. Hate me?" 

"No, of course not." 

"Why? I thought… I thought buhoks were considered  _ monsters _ ?" 

Hyrule rubbed the backs of Four's hands carefully, unable to stroke his hair just yet despite knowing how much more calming it would be for him. 

"In my timeline, buhoks and hylians live side by side," Hyrule explained. "Same with Legend. I have several buhok friends, all of them very nice, and some who wouldn't even hurt a thing to save their life." He chuckled, watching as Four's hair deflated in relaxation. 

"Is it alright if I comb your hair?" 

Four thought for a moment before nodding and turning his back. 

Gingerly and soothingly, Hyrule carded through Four's golden locks, noticing how the smaller link melted at the feeling, his hair no longer swishing with stress. 

"Is that why you were so afraid during…." 

"Yeah…." Four said, wistfully. “It’s painful seeing one of your kind be subjected to such horror…”

His hair drooped more at the memory as well as the thought of other people who have been treated the same before. 

“I was so angry and scared that I started to panic. But I couldn’t have people find out, or else I’d…”

Hyrule calmly hushed him, braiding his hair and inserting flowers into the small gaps. He felt saddened knowing that other Hyrules were so much crueler to such a peaceful race. He knew that they stole hylian bodies in the past but he also knew that they were kind and rarely ever really fought anything. 

“I’m sorry for panicking. It’s just...horrible…”

“I understand. I can’t imagine what it would be like, seeing one of your own being killed all because of who they are.”

He tied it and turned Four to look at him.

“But know this. If anyone- and I mean  _ anyone _ \- tries to hurt you for any reason at all, we’ll be there to protect you. And if you have any problems, feel free to tell us.”

“I...Thank you….thank you so much.” Four cried quietly as he wrapped his arms around Hyrule, who gladly returned the gesture.

“There you two are! I’ve been looking for you both!” Legend exclaimed as he approached the pair. “Food’s ready.”

They both stood up and followed Legend to camp.

“Do you want to tell him?”

“Tell him what?”

“That you’re a buhok. I’m not forcing you to but I think it’ll make things easier.”

Four thought about it for a moment before nodding and grabbing Legend’s arm.

“Hm? What is it, bug?”

“Legend, I need to tell you something very important and you need to promise not to tell anyone else.” Four said as he pulled out a small ribbon and handed it to Legend.

He accepted it with confusion and allowed Four to tell.

Except, he didn’t tell. Rather, he used his hair and wrapped the ribbon around one of Legend’s fingers, giving the man a look of absolute shock.

“You’re…?”

“Y-yeah… I am. Please don’t tell the others! I don’t know how they’d react!”

Legend placed a hand on Four’s shoulder. 

“Don’t worry. I won’t say a word.” He smirked. “After all, I am wearing a bow.”

Legend continued to walk away as Four stood and Hyrule approached.

“You feelin’ better?” 

“Yeah, a little….Thank you….”

“It’s no problem.”

\----------------------------

Four was… happy that he has people to talk to about his culture and who were able to understand his preferences and customs. It made him feel more normal rather than an actor, performing for an audience. 

And although the others didn’t know and although they might hurt him unintentionally, it was nice to have people to calm him. Nice to let his hair stretch out and flow like it was always meant to.

Maybe one day he’d be able to truly open up. But until then…

“Four, may I braid your hair?”

“Sure!” 

He’s happy with what he has.


End file.
